University of Denver

November 27, 2007— When Tapestry, the Boston-based a cappella ensemble of four women, performed in Denver in January 2006, Rocky Mountain News critic Marc Shulgold was so impressed that he called Newman Center Executive Director Stephen Seifert and suggested he consider hosting them at DU.

Now, almost two years later, Tapestry will be visiting Denver for the second time.

Tapestry will present In the Company of Angels at Gates Concert Hall Saturday Dec. 1, a holiday show the ensemble put together specifically for their Newman Center performance.

“The acoustics in Gates are great for an a capella [performance],” Seifert says.

The program builds on the idea that angels have long provided a bridge between the realms of the material and the sublime, Seifert says. Angelic figures are found in ancient art and in all kinds of faiths.

Tapestry will explore angelic themes through combinations of ancient and contemporary musical and literary works. The performance will pair composer Patricia Van Ness’s “The Nine Orders of the Angel” — which express the nine angelic orders starting with guardian angels (those closest to us) and ending with archangels — with anonymous 16th century Spanish songs and dances.

The performance will include a premier of “Beri’ah,” which refers to the second of the four worlds in the Tree of Life (also the world of creation) and is where the archangels hold court, according to the Kabbalah. “Beri’ah” composer James Falzone will deliver a  “Behind the Curtain” lecture at 6:30 p.m. in Gates.

Tickets are available through the Newman Center, Ritchie Center and Ticketmaster box offices. For more information, call the Newman Center at 303-871-7720.